We are the Lemonade!

Did you ever have a lemonade stand when you were little? I never did at home. We lived on an acreage, and there isn’t a lot of traffic on country blacktop roads. The traffic that did go by were farmers who didn’t believe in speed limits. So, a folding table at the end of our driveway wouldn’t have been the safest place for a kid.

I did have cousins that lived in town, though. Every once in a while, I was lucky enough to stay with them. I got to experience the entrepreneurship of a lemonade stand. We made our fancy signs and whipped up some sugar-filled concoctions for the cars that passed by. And then we waited. And waited. And waited.

Every once in awhile people came by with their 50 cents to buy a glass. A few times they’d hand us a dollar and told us to keep the change. We were crazy excited. We were thrilled that our hard work was paying off. People seemed to be pleased with our little venture.

And then HE stopped by. This random man pulled his car to the side. He asked for two glasses of lemonade, drank them, and handed us a $20 bill. Then he got back in his car. Talk about being INSANE with excitement. It was a good day to be in the lemonade business.

I’m guessing you have heard the old adage, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And, have you ever felt like you just can’t get those lemons to turn to lemonade?

I sure have! I am typically a Pollyanna type of person. So, I do try to take the lemons and find a new way to mix them up. I keep trying until something sweet comes from them.

I have wondered though, what if it’s more than that? What if all the lemons we’re handed in life. What if we have to take the sour things, squeeze, stir, and add bits of ourselves to in-order-to make them digestible. What if that’s just the first step?

What if WE are the lemonade?

I think we should examine our lives. We should consider the gifts and burdens we’re handed, and be open to the ways we can add sweetness. We can intentionally help someone else. We can continually improve ourselves. Try to do our best in any given situation. Turn our lemons into lemonade.

I also know I couldn’t do any of those things on my own. There is no way I would have the perspective. I wouldn’t have the strength. I wouldn’t have the fortitude.

I need to ask God for help in those everyday areas of my life. My lemons turn to lemonade because He’s given me the gifts to make that happen.

But have you ever thought about it from God’s perspective?

He sees all of the challenges we have in our lives. He lets us walk through them for a reason. He could easily make every obstacle we face easy. He could smooth out the rough road ahead of us and make every day simple.

But, He’s watching us as we work through the sour patches. He is watching us take the lemons in our lives and squeeze all the juice from them. We add in the sweetness of our faith, trust, and acceptance. Then, we press onward.

I believe while we are going through the rough patches with as much grace as we can muster, He is smiling. He is seeing the big picture.

Smiling because He knows we will sometimes break even with our 50 cents. Sometimes exceed our own expectations with a dollar tip. And, have those magical times when we are graced with a windfall of $20 just because we persevered.

He is smiling, and pleased with the sweet concoction He’s created in each and every one of us.

Maybe we don’t just take our lemons and make lemonade.

Maybe to Him we are the lemonade.

Just a thought.

With love and joy,

Laura